21st century skills

I was invited to the GMail and the Google Apps betas sometime in 2003 or 2004. Take a minute for that to sink in… Before Google Apps had taken over many school districts and before my experience as a New Tech Network teacher (where Echo and Google Apps ruled), I had grown up using arguably Read More …

This morning marks the first day of my experience in the University of Illinois Writing Project and probably of a new vision for writing instruction in my career. We opened with an activity where we drew out a visualization of a recent writing process that we experienced on a sheet of transparency “paper”. My collage more Read More …

This week, we launched a modified, PBL version of Project Citizen, which aims to have “participants learn how to monitor and influence public policy. In the process, they develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance, and feelings of political efficacy.” In the past, this project has gone really well at my school. Students use the Read More …

This was no regular meeting with the principal. I had a yellow legal pad and was trying to keep up with the sparks of fresh ideas or next steps. Proposals, artifacts and research passed across the big desk. Impacts on the community were discussed. Monetary costs were considered. At first, the legal pad might suggest Read More …